The present invention relates to an improvement in the design of devices that are used to aid people as they rise from seated positions. More specifically, to the design of such a device that is portable, light weight and which easily folds up for storage.
Many individuals, especially the elderly or disabled, have difficulty rising from a seated position without assistance. Rising can be particularly difficult when seated in a cushioned chair or sofa, since the individual may be deeply seated in the piece of furniture. This difficulty can rob such individuals of their independence and self respect. Therefore, it is desirable to provide an apparatus which provides assistance to such individuals that can enable the individual to rise from a seated position without the help of others.
One type of assistance mechanism consists of a mechanical lift located within a specific piece of furniture, which lifts the seat of the chair and the user up and forward, pushing the user to a standing position. While effective, these devices are expensive and limited to the piece of furniture encompassing the lifting mechanism. The expense of these devises can be prohibitive for households with more than one elderly or disabled person or retirement and nursing homes with many residents.
Other assistance devices have been designed to be portable and therefore, can be used with a multiple of chairs and sofas. U.S. Pat. No. 4,922,560 employs two handles to achieve this task. The use of the double unsupported handles may be too unstable and dangerous for many uses. U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,498 consists of an arm attached to a base which is positionable under either side of a chair or sofa. The handle can be used by the seated person to pull himself up to a standing position. However, the assistance provided by the aforementioned device is limited to one side, and only one arm of the user. The use of this device could prove to be difficult for persons who are not strong enough to pull themselves to a standing position using only one arm or for persons seated in the center, and not on either end, of a sofa. The unsupported handle design may again be too unstable and dangerous for many users.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,226,439 consists of a rectangular base to which a pair of support arm members are attached. The rectangular base is placed under the chair, with the arms extending upward on both sides of the chair. The seated individual uses the arms on either side of the chair to push himself into a standing position. However, the use of this device is limited to chairs that fit within the span of the rectangular base and cannot be utilized with sofas.
The designs of the above mentioned prior art do not provide a horizontally oriented bar that is positioned in front of a user which allows the user to easily grasp the bar and pull ones self forward and upwards to a standing position on any size setting arrangement. These prior designs may also be unstable for heavy use. The current device is designed to provide a stable platform in combination with a horizontally orientated bar that may be used in any seating arrangement.